Knights make history with landslide vote to privatise

By Jeannette McMahon

It took many months of intense and sometimes bitter negotiations, but the Newcastle Knights have entered a new era with an emphatic vote to privatise. Mining magnate Nathan Tinkler's takeover proposal required 75% of members' votes to succeed, but in the end an overwhelming 97% came down in favour of the 10-year, $100million deal.

Of the 3000 members eligible to vote, 1300 had already lodged proxies, and another thousand attended last night's meeting at Newcastle Entertainment Centre.

The announcement of the landslide vote in favour of the Tinkler takeover was greeted with a chorus of cheers and chants of "Newcastle, Newcastle".

Earlier acrimony during which Knights' chairman, Rob Tew, described the Tinkler bid as a "mirage" was put aside in a new atmosphere of optimism.

"From here forward we're a united club with a united purpose, with a level of funding which we've never had in the past," the chairman said after the vote.

"I'm relieved, but it's been an enjoyable, interesting and at times very difficult task.

"As I understand it, there will be a transition period which I believe will perhaps extend over the next three to five weeks, and my obligation and my commitment is to ensure that the Tinkler Sports Group takes charge in a seamless fashion."

Nathan Tinkler wasn't at the extraordinary general meeting, but was represented by the executive chairman of the Tinkler Sports Group, Ken Edwards.

"We're humbled to be given the privilege of being the joint custodians, with the members, of the Newcastle Knights," he said after the vote was announced.

Craig told Aaron on his Breakfast program that the Newcastle Knights grew up as a club last night.

"To compete in the NRL now and in professional sport, you've got to be well-resourced," Craig says.

"It was the only decision to make.

"I honestly think that had they not voted the way they did last night, there was every chance that the club could well have been insolvent in a few years' time.

"They had over a $4million debt hanging around their necks, you can't win with that, they would never have paid that off.

"With the Tinkler group coming in, that will be taken care of straight away and that's a huge thing in itself."

Ken Edwards told Aaron the most important part of the takeover process has been the public debate.

"I think the interesting feature of this process has been the long, open and public dialogue on the issues," he said.

"So by the time we all got to the vote last night, members certainly had had overy opportunity to ask every question, consider it in detail and get the answers that they needed.

"We'll just get on with the business of building on the great things that the Knights have now, and start putting in place some of the ideas and the improvements that we have."

Ken says paying off the club's existing multi-million-dollar debt and introducing family-friendly ticketing will be priorities, as well as retaining talented juniors and even luring back former local juniors who have gone on to glittering careers with other clubs.

And Ken says fans should be reassured that the Tinkler group sees connecting with them as vital.

It wants both the Newcastle Jets and the Knights to have 20,000 members each, and has already head-hunted one of the best membership managers in the country, who has previously worked for the Rabbitohs and the Sydney Swans.